Folding tripod



Ju1y31,194s. T. PETERSEN y 2,380,911

FOLDING TRIPOD I Original Filed Nov. 13, 1940 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 IN VENT OR.

l /4 /g /I4/ BY g ATTORNEY.

`July 31, L'1945. l n T. PETERsr-:N 2,380,911

, FOLDING TRIPOD Original Filed Nov; 13, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lows:

Y in Fig. 10.

Patented. July 3l, 1945 Manuf actnrlng Company, Erle, Pa., a corpora- V tion of Pennsylvania miniemen November is, i940, sei-nd Ne.

365,475. Divided and this application SeptembQl 22, 1943, 8G11 N0. 503,313

4 Claims. (01.248-169) suilicient distance to permit free clearance of any Various tools may be mounted conveniently `ori tripods. The present invention is designed to provide a. trlpodwhich may be folded, readily opened for use. and made rigid. As exemplified,

the tripod is used forsupporting a pipe vise for holding pipe as it is cut or threaded. In some respects the tri-pod is peculiarly advantageous with relation to this device becauseeof the swinging clearances made possible for the cutting or threading tools. Features and detalls of the invention will appear from the speciiicatlon and claims.

This appllcationis a division of my application, Serial No.` 365,475, filed November 13, 1940, now Patent No. 2,343,924. f

tools operating on material in the vise. The base has a rearward extension 9 which is provided with a slot III. A rear leg II extends into the slot and is pivotally mounted by means of a bolt I2 which extends through the sides of the slot and the leg. The rear of the slot forms A preferred embodiment of the invenun le illustrated in the accompanying drawings as iol'- Fig. 1 shows'a front elevation of open orset position. Fig. 2 a sectionon the' line 2-2 in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 asection on the line 2--2 in Fig..1.

Fig. 4a sideelevation of the tripod.

Fig. 5 a-section on the line l-l in ll'lg. 4. beFig. 6 an elevation of a pipe supporting mem- Fig.- 7 a bottom view of legs in open position. e v

Fig. 8 a sideelevation of a part of showing the brace partly collapsed.

the tripod in the breeeleekmg the the tripod o. shoulder IIa limiting the movement of the leg I I to its open position.

` A `collapsible brace I: is provided rer loeking the legs in openp'osition. This brace is formed er .three articulated members u and 22.

JThese members are formed of plates flanged at their edges, the plates forming. when they are in open position, a tool-receiving tray below the vise. The flanges Il of the members I4 are extended. forming ears It which receivethe legs f l. Bolts I1 extend through the ears I6 and the legs 2 lthus forming a pivotal connection between the members Il and the legs. The members Il have complementary hinged butts Il formed on the inner edges, and a hinge pin I9 extende'tnrougn these butts. The pin hes e nea.

tened end 22 which is arranged between the ears 2| secured to the bottom of the member 22. A bolt 1I extends through the ears 2| and the end 2l of the pin I9 forming a pivotal connec- Fig. 9 a front view of a part of the tripod show- J ing the brace partially collapsed.

` Fig. 10 shows a front elevation ol the tripod in folded position.

Fig. 10a shows' a section on the line. Ila- Ila Fig. 1l a side elevation of the tripod in folded position. Y

, I marks a pipe vise for which the tripod is particularly-adapted, 2 the base of the pipe' vise which forms the `heudof the tripod. Ihe base lhas the extended ears' I and I at its lower frolitl corners forming sticketsor spaces l for receiving the legs l. Bolts I extend through the ears and the legs forming pivotal connections between the legs and the It will be'noted that the space 5 terminates in 'a shoulder la which is engaged by the upper end of the leg whemlt is in full 'open position, thus definitely locating the leg with relation to the'base. The lower ends of the vtion between thev member 22 and the pin I9. The

member 22\hasside 'flanges 24 which are extended beyond the plate 22 forming ears 25.-

Theseears engage the sides of the rear leg II -aud are pivotally secured to the leg byl bolt 26 which extends through the ears and the leg. The articulated brace permits the lifting of the I brace, the members Il swinging upwardly on the hinge formed by the butts l2 and pin I9 and the bolts Il. The members ll-'and the member 22 are hinged through the pivot on the bolt 29 be.

tween the-ears 2| and the pin I9. This articulated arrangement permits the upward' collapsing of the brace as a whole and the inward swinging of the legs so that they may be brought together asshown in Figs. v1I), and 11. In order to lock the brace in its lower-position the flanges of one legs have forwardly and outwardly extending curves! to increase the spread of the legs and provide greater stability. The legal however extend directly downwardly from the vise fora 5s member Il *are extended at Ila so as to pass over the companion member and limit the downward movement ofthe members I4. The flanges 24 of the member -22 have the small vprojections 24a which -extend over the flanges I6. The abutting o f the flange 2l on the flange I5 with the projection 24a also locks or limits the downward movement of the joint iormed by the bolt 23.

The stops lo and Ila arellocated with relation to `the legs so thatthey come into engagement slightly before the nnal downward movement ofv the brace is completed sothat with the compie tion of the downward movement of the brace with its consequent toggle action, the legs are slightly stressed giving very definite rigidity to the tripod as a whole.` The brace is carried downwardly sumciently, having reference to the joints. to

i carry the toggle centers slightly below alignment with the leg connections of the brace so that v' when the brace reaches its lower position it is vextends through theY ears and leg il forming a pivotal connection between the leg and the arm. This bolt. is tightened sumciently to distort or force the hollow leg Il out of round so that the wall of the leg formsa spring take-up, maintaining a' frictional engagement between the arm and the leg so that it will stay folded when the tripod is collapsed or Will stay in its upper or set position with the tripod in open position for use.

A pipe Il is shown in place in the vise resting on the .supporting armv 21 in Fig. 4. -It will -be noted that the front of the tripodis clear to permit the swinging of cutter or threading tools on that part oi the pipe extending in front of the vise.

In order to hold the legs assembled when the tripod is collapsed, I provide an arm l! which extends through openings 33 in the legs C. 'I'he arm extends from a sleeve 374 and is held in place when in use by a spring actuated detent 3B. The arm can be retracted and this permits the tripod to be opened.

It will be noted that the arm I2 extends in arcuate form centered on the swinging center of the swivel connection so that as it is swung in one direction it engages'and holds both the legs other than the one on which the arm is swivelled. With the arm extending through the. openings it makes a more secure fastening and provides an arm that has little extension from the leg and consequently slight obstruction when the tripod is open.

What .I claim as new is:

l..In a tripod having a head and legs, an arm swivelled on one of the legs, said arm having a hook-like extension adapted to hook the remaining two legs by a movement of the arm from one direction.

2. A tripod having a head and legs, an arm swivelled around one of the legs and having a hook-like extension movable to hook both the other of the legs by swinging in one direction.

3. A tripod having a head and legs, two of the legs having openings therethrough, an arm swivelled on the other of 4said legs and hav-ing an arcuate extension adapted to be swung into the openings in said legs for holding said legs in closed position.

4. A tripod having a head and legs, an arm swivelled around one of the legs and having a hook-like extension movable to hook both the other of the legs by swinging in one direction, and means yieldingly holding the arm in set position.

THORVALD PETERSEN. 

